Jennifer Brady
Rocky Creek Elementary School
After 17 years in hospital nursing, Brady segued her career into the educational sector by becoming an elementary school nurse. Working with children makes perfect sense for Brady, because it was a child in peril who drew her toward nursing at a tender age.
When she was 8 years old, Brady watched helplessly as her young brother had a grand mal seizure. From the moment on, she knew she never wanted to feel that way again. That’s when her call to nursing began.
Fast forward to her position at the elementary school. Brady’s coworker Dawn Martin recalls an incident when Brady put her skills to test after work. Brady was joining her daughters, who both attend Rocky Creek, at an after-school event. Still wearing her school nurse scrubs during the cafeteria dinner, Brady was alerted by a fellow parent that a child was choking.
As Brady approached the kindergartener sprawled across the ground, she noticed he was in distress. Unable to breathe, a look of panic washed across his face.
Brady then swooped down on her knees and got right behind the boy. After a pair of abdominal thrusts, the piece of food that was choking the boy sprang from his mouth. He immediately began breathing and his frightened mother was soon at ease.
On working as a school nurse:
“After 17 years of nothing but hospital nursing, I wondered if I would enjoy it. But once I got in there and got my feet wet, I realized that was where I exactly wanted to be, and I fell in love with it immediately. …The children are just so appreciative with their pleases and thank-yous. And I’m able to give them just a little bit of t.l.c. to make things better. …Our school principal knows I have almost 20 years of nursing experience and just kind of trusts my judgement. So it’s wonderful to have that kind of autonomy on the job.”
